From practice, center consoles for motor vehicles are generally known to include a basic body designed for arrangement in transverse direction between the vehicle seats within a seat row of a motor vehicle. A stowage compartment with a stowage compartment aperture faces upwards in height direction is provided in the basic body. In addition to this, the center console includes a stowage compartment lid, which can be pivoted from a closed position, in which the stowage compartment lid covers the stowage compartment aperture, into an open position, in which the stowage compartment lid opens the stowage compartment aperture in order to make possible loading and unloading the stowage compartment via the stowage compartment aperture. The stowage compartment lid in this case can be pivoted about a pivot axis extending in transverse direction of the basic body, i.e. in transverse direction of the motor vehicle, from the closed position into the open position, wherein the pivot axis extending in transverse direction is arranged in a rear region of the center console, that is behind the stowage compartment.
Such center consoles have the disadvantage that a vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat adjacent to the center console in transverse direction can open the stowage compartment lid only with difficulty or with increased effort. In particular when the vehicle seat in longitudinal direction is adjusted further towards the front. In addition to this it is difficult or nearly impossible for a vehicle occupant on a vehicle seat in longitudinal direction behind the center console, i.e. for example in the second seat row, to transfer the stowage compartment lid from the closed position into the closed position. In addition it has been shown that the stowage compartment lid in the event of a frontal or rear-end collision of the motor vehicle tends to pivot between the open position and the closed position. Even during a braking maneuver of the motor vehicle, the stowage compartment lid can unintentionally pivot between the open position and the closed position.